A licensed Colorado Real Estate Broker since 1996, Nicole works with both buyers and sellers. In 2009, she was ranked #21 out of 214 ERA agents state wide, for volume sold. She proudly supports our local military and is happy to offer our military appreciation program to active duty clients. http://www.springshomes.com/military-assistance-program. In addition to real estate, Nicole’s passions include running, ballroom dancing, cooking and playing piano. With a strong background in new home construction and accounting, she has a sharp eye for detail.

Suicide, is a sad topic no one wants to talk about. But I have to write about it because it's affecting our teens in Colorado Springs. You see, teen suicide is on the rise here. As of mid-October there have been 13 teen suicides in ...El Paso County. In 2015 there were 14 teen suicides here. Our very own Academy School District 20 recently la...

As promised, here is my favorite activity for the little ones. BOO AT THE ZOO, at our very own Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, is a great way for children to enjoy the holiday. I took my daughter to this every year when she was little, and we both loved it. Children can dress up in costume, visit the animals and trick-or-treat for candy provided by loc...

Colorado Springs loves Halloween. I've never seen a city so enthusiastic about this holiday. There are many Halloween activities to enjoy here during the month of October. This weekend my teenage daughter went to the Haunted Mines , something she enjoys every year. The Haunted Mines takes place in the Northgate area at the old Mining...

Every Fall I bake my favorite pumpkin bread. Funny story about this recipe...it was actually mailed to me by another Realtor, trying to drum up business. She was canvassing my neighborhood and apparently didn't know she was sending this to "the competition". Anyhow, it looked pretty good so I gave it a try. It's actually one of th...

I recently wrote a blog about things which devalue a neighborhood. Now it's time to talk about things which add value to one: 1. School District - Being in a desirable school district always adds value to a property. In fact, I sometimes get phone calls from out of state buyers who are coming to Colorado Springs and have already targete...

Come Try Out This Private Master Balcony!!! We are holding open houses at this lovely home Wednesday August 24th, 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM and Saturday August 27th, 10 AM to 1:00 PM. For more details on our listing at 7778 Chasewood Loop, Colorado Springs 80908, go to https://www.springshomes.com/mls/6453302-7778-Chasewood-LP-Colorado-Springs...

I recently read an interesting article about home prices and what can make a home more or less valuable. Below is the list of nine top things which devalue a property or neighborhood, and my commentary on each: 1. Bad School District - I completely agree with this one. Families with school age children are especiall...

I'm so excited about this new listing. I sold the house to them and it's just as pretty today as it was when they bought it. It's a former model home and has all the builder upgrades you can imagine. Here's more detail of the place: Built in 2007, the gorgeous home features 5 bedrooms, 4 baths and 3,400 finished square feet.&nb...

I often hear buyers comment on how low our property taxes are here in Colorado as compared to other states. I've heard that in places like New Jersey they are much higher. But I never knew exactly how much higher. Recently I came across this article on Realtor.com It's about property taxes and how much they cost in each ...

When buying a home, you have the option of doing a final walk through to verify condition before you close. Some buyers want to waive this right, especially if the home they are buying is vacant. They figure the house probably looks the same as it did when they initially saw it and there is no reason to look again. WRONG! Here is my favorite ...

It is a good real estate market for sellers right now. And it is a crazy real estate market for buyers right now. Sellers are getting top dollar for their homes, and often times they are seeing bidding wars and multiple offers in the under $300,000 price range. Buyers, on the other hand, have to act fast when they find that perfect home. Most likel...

I keep running into the same problem...not enough houses for sale for all the buyers right now. Currently I am working with a sweet, young couple looking to buy their first home. They both work and have 2 little children with a 3rd one on the way. So needless to say they are busy. Time is limited. And when they do make time ...

I just read a fun article in Realtor.com about which 20 cities have the hottest real estate markets right now. Guess what? Colorado Springs is in there! According to them, they rank a hot market by how many showings a home gets, how long houses stay on the market, and how many new sales the area is seeing. Here is the complete list, all 20 cities w...

Everyone is speculating about interest rates. Will they go up in 2016 or will they remain low? A low interest rate allows the home buyer to qualify for a higher priced home. When interest rates go up, buyers do not have as much buying power. Here is an excerpt from an article I recently read on realtor.com : "Mortgage rates will likely be volatile ...

Will property taxes go up in 2016? Better yet, just how are property taxes calculated? Here, in Colorado Springs, the El Paso County Assessor re-evaluates the value of homes every two years. He starts with the current market value of the home. Market Value is based on the most recent comparable sales in the area. Once...

It means so much when people say thank you! Recently some clients of mine not only said it, but they made this adorable house for me. It even has a sign in the front with my name on it. The roof comes off, and there is storage inside, so now I keep all of my client thank-you notes in there. I proudly display it here in my of...

As we wrap up 2015, I want to thank you all for your business, referrals and friendship. I am so grateful to do this work and for all of you, for making this a wonderful year! Here is what our Colorado Springs real estate market saw in 2015 (as of November 30 th ) : Single Family Home Sales Up 17.6% from last year Condo/Townhome Sales Up 29.9% from...

Did you know there might be money waiting for you? And if you don't claim it, it may never be yours to keep. I am referring to homeowner's insurance refunds. When you buy a home you purchase homeowners insurance for it. And most of us have that insurance policy premium paid by our mortgage lender. In this ca...

When purchasing a home, personal checks are not accepted at the closing table. “Good Funds” as our contracts call money due at closing, will need to be either a cashier’s check or wire transfer. A cashier’s check is simple to obtain. Usually you can purchase one at your bank. These work well when you have a down payment to bring. BUT b...